Terrible Things Happen to Mai
by Abicion
Summary: Mint fights Estelle. Who will survive?
1. Terrible Things Happen to Mai

Some time in the ancient past, the world was in neverending turmoil as feuding clans constantly fought for control of land. However, in a large candle-lit shrine underneath a rolling mountain, a secret cult was holding a ceremony that aimed to bring peace to the world. Twelve young women who had been born with the ability to summon guardian monsters were gathered to fight each other in pairs until only one remained. The remaining girl was responsible to acting as a medium between the human race and a mighty god who had the power to end the world's crisis. The girls were called Hime, which literally meant "Princess" and referred to their candidacy as wives for the deity they worshipped. Their guardians were known as Childs, and it was said their existence represented a life created from the bond each girl shared with their most cherished person. The Hime would be defeated when either they or their Child were killed in battle, and the life of the person they they had summoned their Child to protect would be taken as punishment. Once the temple's fortunetellers had assessed who each Hime truly loved the most, all twelve girls and their potential sacrifices had gathered in the shrine to determine the fate of the world.

As war seemed to be an eternal part of life, this wasn't the first time the festival was held. The event was performed in secrecy every few hundred years, and, in every previous cycle, the final Hime had turned against the ancient deity out of her own selfishness or a sudden moral attack. With each failed ceremony, the vengeful god only became more impatient and angered, but the temple elders always continued to host the violent event in the desperate hope that, just once, the winner would finally fulfill her role and use the deity's power to unify the world.

The current ceremony was very close to ending. As usual, the twelve girls that had been summoned to the underground temple fought in a tournament bracket until three remained, and a drawing was held to determine the order these contestants would battle. In this iteration of the festival, it had been decided that two Hime by the names of Mai Tokiha and Mikoto Minagi would battle first, and the victor would battle the third finalist, Akane Higurashi, in the final dance of the ritual. Mikoto had been defeated on the previous day, and the final round was now about to begin.

The two female fighters were stationed on opposite sides of the shrine, dressed in the priestess robes they had been appointed. Both girls were accompanied by the person they cared for the most, who were dressed in their own ceremonial robes that featured a jet black hakama rather than the bright red that their respective Hime wore. At the head of the temple stood ten stone columns. These identical monoliths were in a symmetrical arrangement, with an opening for exactly one more column in the center. Each pillar had been raised following a battle and was believed to contain the soul of the person the defeated Hime had lost. When the ceremony ended, eleven columns would stand together to open a doorway between worlds that would allow the victorious warrior to communicate with the deity hosting the ceremony.

As the two Hime prepared for battle, they were watched by a full crowd of temple servants. Other Hime were normally part of this audience, but, as this was the final and most important round, all of the other girls had failed and had been taken away from the shrine.

On one end of the battleground stood Mai Tokiha, a young woman with short orange hair. She was quietly questioning her younger brother, Takumi Tokiha, to make sure he was comfortable and not feeling sickly. She adjusted the collar of his robe and pressed her index and middle fingers to his neck to read his pulse. The boy was a few years younger than his Hime sister, and he had been cursed with a weak heart. Any overexertion could be fatal to him, and Mai had grown to be very protective of the boy. The siblings had been orphaned by a barbarian raid when Takumi was barely a toddler, causing Mai to become like a foster mother to him. Mai was fully determined to complete the ceremony so she could use a portion of the ancient god's power to cure her brother's ailment in return for offering her loyalty. A gentle smile was on Takumi's face while he gave his sister some final words of encouragement.

"I believe in you, Mai."

Mai returned her brother's cheerful glance, and the two siblings shared a long hug.

Akane Higurashi was standing on the opposite side of shrine. Her short brown hair was tied back into a playful ponytail, and she was accompanied by a young man named Kazuya Kurauchi. He was a mercenary soldier, and Akane traveled with him along with the rest of his group as their healer and diplomat. Akane had become increasingly fearful for Kazuya's life as war became more common across the land. When she was called upon to participate in the Hime festival, she saw the prize as a way to give Kazuya the power necessary to finally end the constant fighting and maintain peace.

As Mai and Takumi shared their hug, Akane and Kazuya locked into a passionate kiss. This particular ritual wasn't uncommon for Hime who fought to protect the lives of their intimate lovers, and neither Akane nor Kazuya were embarrassed as they were closely watched. They both knew this could very well be their final moment together. When the young couple separated from their kiss, Kazuya slowly brushed his hand through his protector's hair.

"Do your best, Akane."

Akane nodded energetically in response before finally turning to her opponent. Mai and Akane then stepped forward and closed their eyes to summon their respective weapons and Childs. On Mai's half of the arena, a giant white dragon appeared behind her and hovered in the air. This was Kagutsuchi, and the equipment he granted Mai were glowing gold rings with green beads that appeared on her ankles and wrists. These allowed Mai to levitate off the ground and augmented her strength slightly as she fought with her fists.

Opposite to Mai, Akane summoned a large mechanical tiger she called Hari. The beast was plated with yellow and gray armor and sported sword-like quills on its back. Hari was one of the smallest Childs when compared to the enormous creatures many of the other Hime could summon, but he had already used his speed and agility to help Akane defeat two other priestesses in earlier battles and proved himself to be a fearsome adversary. In addition to this, Akane now wielded a pair of tonfa that each contained two parallel staves. The outer staff on each tonfa could spin on an axis connected to the inner staff, effectively turning the blunt weapons into handheld circular saws.

Mai and Akane shared a determined glance between one another. The two girls had quickly become friends when they first came to the shrine, but the experiences of watching the ten other Hime lose their dearest person and knowing they could be the next to be defeated had taken away their ability to stop and sympathize for each other for even a second. They took their respective combat poses to begin the final battle of the cruel contest.

Hari began the fight by lunging forward and sinking his armored claws into the shrine's stone floor to anchor himself. A round blade located on his chest began to spin around and generate a pulling force that staggered Mai. As the defending Hime found herself unable to keep her balance and was slowly drawn into Hari's bladed vacuum, her guardian exhaled a large fireball toward his master's attacker. Hari responded to this by releasing his hold and quickly evading, and the projectile left a scorched crater on the empty shrine floor.

As the Childs battled, their respective Hime met eachother on the floor of the open ceremonial chamber. Akane threw a series of punches with her short range tonfa, alternating with her left and right arms, and Mai blocked each attack by raising her ringed hands to create protective forcefields. Although Mai was safely defending herself, Akane's aggression was slowly guiding her to one of the walls of the shrine. This would have left her pinned in a corner and prone to a finishing attack, but Kagutsuchi sensed his master was in danger and briefly turned his attention away from Hari so he could focus on Akane. As Kagutsuchi prepared another fireball in his throat in an attempt to finish Akane with a fatal blast to her unsuspecting back, Hari saw this as an opening and lept in the air to claw at the back of Kagutsuchi's wings. The wise dragon sensed this attack, however, and quickly turned in the air and unleashed his fully charged fireball at Hari's pouncing frame.

Hari immediately cowered in the air in response to the oncoming attack. He successfully ducked the main brunt of Kagutsuchi's projectile, but the fireball was still close enough to graze the back of his metallic hide and disintegrate the dangerous spikes that protruded from the back of his neck. As his midair evasion had occurred at the last minute, his remaining flight was haphazard and he roughly slammed into the ground of the cavern for his landing. Akane looked over her shoulder when the sound interrupted her battle with Mai. She shouted to her Child with a great worry in her voice.

"Hari!"

While Mai was still blocking her tonfa attacks, Akane caught her opponent off guard with a sudden knee to the gut. This quickly sent Mai to the ground with a loud grunt, allowing to Akane run to Hari's side and inspect his wounds. His armor was partially melted, and the whirling blade protruding from his chest had been damaged in his fall, but his injuries weren't deathly and he was still able to stand on his own. Akane quietly spoke to the beast to soothe his pain, then whispered a set of orders to him when she silently developed a new strategy. She extended one of her tonfa to her Child, and the creature took one pole of the weapon into his fanged mouth. The brown-haired Hime and her feline guardian split apart again, and Akane dashed back toward Mai with the remaining tonfa in her grasp.

Mai had recovered, and she crossed her ringed wrists to generate a small white forcefield that blocked Akane's oncoming attack. The girls began to exchange blows, with Mai using her fists while Akane used her single blunt weapon, as Kagutsuchi locked his sights back onto Hari and inhaled to prepare a third fireball.

Hari now ran toward his target head on, using his full speed in a straight line to close the distance between himself and Kagutsuchi as the floating dragon prepared its fiery attack. At the critical moment, Hari leapt into the open air just over Kagutsuchi's line of fire and completely dodged his projectile. The exposed staff of the tonfa in Hari's jowls then began to spin at its fastest speed, effectively turning the aggressive tiger's entire mouth into a rotating blade. He had aimed slightly off-center to Kagutsuchi's finned head when he jumped, and Mai and Akane suddenly heard a deafening bestial squeal and the sound of metal crashing against metal as they fought each other on the ground. The two girls abruptly turned to the source of the noise to see Hari had grazed past Kagutsuchi's neck as he jumped through the air, using the weapon in his mouth to decapitate the great white dragon. Akane's plan had worked perfectly.

Kagutsuchi's head exploded into shimmering green particles almost as soon as it was cleaved from the enormous beast's serpentine neck, and his armored body turned to a dark gray color as it slowly plummeted to the ground in green flame. Hari returned to Akane's side to return her weapon, and Akane lowered her hands to her sides upon realizing the battle was over.

Mai's eyes widened with horror when she saw her Child had been killed with a decisive blow, and her weapons suddenly disappeared from her wrists and ankles. As Kagutsuchi's final remains crashed to the ground and disintegrated into glittering, emerald-colored embers, the Hime who had summoned him fell to her knees and let out a shrill scream that echoed throughout the subterranean shrine. When the echo faded, the sounds of a young boy painfully gasping for air took its place. Mai turned around and ran to her end of the combat area just in time to catch her collapsing brother in her arms. He was clutching his chest and groaning as if he was struggling with some invisible force that was reaching into his small chest and crushing his frail heart. Exhausted from the battle and tortured by her sudden feelings of regret, Akane could only bring herself to watch silently with her moist brown eyes as Mai hopelessly begged to her beloved.

"Ta-... Takumi, I'm sorry! Please don't go!"

Mai's sobbing pleas went unanswered, and Takumi soon closed his eyes and fell limp as his sister's robed thighs formed the pillows of his deathbed. Mai's tears dripped from her cheeks and stained the boy's motionless face as he began to dissolve in the same spectacle as Kagutsuchi. When her brother was gone, Mai leaned forward onto all fours, and her weeping eyes formed small, salty puddles directly on the floor of the shrine.

The defeated Hime's lament slowly stifled as Akane heard the sound of rumbling stone coming from behind her. Akane knew this meant the final column had risen from the ground, and the omnipotent being the tragic contest had been a celebration to would soon be arriving. As Akane continued to silently fight a swarm of regret, Mai slowly lifted her head to look vacantly into the air in front of her. The defeated Hime was perfectly silent except for when she occasionally mumbled her beloved's name.

"Ta... ku... mi..."

Just as it had done with the other fallen maidens, the forces responsible for the ritual had reached into Mai's grieving mind at the moment it was most vulnerable and robbed her of her willpower in addition to claiming her sacrifice. All she would be able to do for the rest of her life was long for the loving younger brother she would never see again. Two of the temple servants soon stepped out of the audience and reached under her arms to carefully lift her back to her feet. She was quietly led out of the shrine, being far too weak to make any objections.

When the cave was fully silent again, Akane turned her head to solemnly look toward the eleven ceremonial columns. When her gaze returned to the center of the shrine, she noticed the audience had gathered around the battlefield in a circle and were groveling to the ground. Akane, Kazuya, and Hari were within this circle, and they were the only occupants still standing on their feet. The servants were humbling themselves mainly to honor the arrival of the ancient deity who hosted the ceremony, but they were also honoring Akane as they prayed she would complete the closing event of the ritual. As the victorious Hime sighed at this sight, she heard footsteps gently approaching her from behind. Kazuya's chest was soon pressed against her back, and he reached over her shoulders to delicately cross his arms around her collarbone. Akane felt her lover's breath softly graze the back of her neck as he spoke in an unusually deep voice.

"I've been waiting to meet you, Akane..."

Kazuya leaned forward and brushed his smooth cheek against Akane's. He was calmed by the slight scent of incense flowing from Akane's knotted hair, and he embraced the priestess in silent anticipation. If Akane had turned around, she would see Kazuya's face had taken on a somewhat sinister complexion and a dark aura was gently pulsating in his eyes. Akane returned his advances only by continuing to look forward and fearfully announcing his new title.

"Obsidian Lord..."

Kazuya was amused by Akane already being afraid of his dominance. It meant she would take less persuasion than some of the previous ceremony winners, and it gave the entity controlling her lover some relief. His voice was warmer when he spoke again.

"You've passed all of my tests, Akane, and now it is time to receive your prize."

Akane continued to look forward with uncertainty. She had not accepted Kazuya's new presence, the young man noted, but she wasn't completely repulsed by him, either.

"Your reward is the world itself. I'll grant you unspeakable power so you can help me guide humanity how I see fit."

Akane looked downward in deep thought. Kazuya could see Akane was considering her position, and he closed his eyes in silent hopefulness. As Akane replied, she spoke softly as to avoid giving the impression she was openly resisting.

"What if I refuse?"

Kazuya's voice remained completely calm as he replied.

"Hmm... you're quite beautiful, so it would be a pity to destroy you entirely. Maybe I'd keep you as a statue to decorate my shrine and remind the girls in future rituals not to rebel against me."

Akane closed her eyes and shuddered at this thought. She remained quiet as Kazuya continued speaking.

"I'm not going to lie to you and tell you rejecting my offer isn't an option. However, please don't forget it's my gift that allows you to fight to the extent that you have."

One of Kazuya's arms briefly left Akane's shoulder and reached down to massage an area on her back a few inches below her left shoulder blade. Akane was still weary from her battle with Mai, and she couldn't help but sigh in comfort as she felt her faint birthmark begin to warmly glow under Kazuya's hand as he caressed the back of her shrine maiden haori. When his arm returned to hugging her shoulder, Kazuya spoke with subtle sternness in his voice.

"If that's the path you insist on taking, you wouldn't be the first foolish girl to prove using your Hime powers against me is a futile effort."

Akane's hands gripped the handles of her tonfa tighter than they had before as the weapons were held at her sides. Even with the odds against her, her feelings of regret gave her a lingering motivation to lash out against the cruel entity inhabiting Kazuya. She replied to Kazuya's threats with sadness in her soft voice.

"But you've made the other Hime suffer so much..."

The legendary entity controlling Kazuya suddenly feared losing Akane's companionship and having her reject him like so many victorious Hime in the past. He was convinced this was the woman he would finally be able to tame, and he spoke peacefully to quell Akane's slight feelings of rebelliousness.

"Their sacrifices weren't in vain, Akane. If I hadn't claimed the lives of their beloved, the power I could share with you wouldn't be anywhere near as grand."

Kazuya's lips now curled into a confident smile.

"Besides, to defeat me in my current form, you would have to kill the person your heart beats the strongest for."

Akane looked toward to the ground sulkingly before quietly replying.

"You're so cruel..."

Kazuya slowly brushed a few loose strands of Akane's hair behind her ear. He replied to her criticism with the same unwavering smile.

"On the contrary, my dear Akane, I chose Kazuya as my host body for your benefit. It would be more cruel for me to expect you to forget who you fought for and accept me in some unfamiliar form."

The priestess looked forward again as she remained silent, finding herself unable to argue with her god's logic. The patient deity could feel Akane begin to weakly shiver as her very emotions engaged in painful combat, and he felt sympathy for his devoted disciple. He spoke again to pacify her.

"You were cursed the moment you fell in love, Akane. The only way to end your suffering is to accept what your heart wants."

The young man rested his head on the back of his protector's shoulders. Akane stood with her back against Kazuya in silence for a few moments before she made her decision. For the first time in the ceremony's sorrowful history, the entity controlling Kazuya heard the surviving Hime's weapons clatter to the ground as she voluntarily disarmed herself. This was followed by the girl's feline guardian and abandoned tonfa peacefully disappearing as she silently willed the molecules they were composed of to return to her body. When the priestess spoke again, most of her original uncertainty was removed from her voice.

"Just tell me, Obsidian Lord, if I accept... you'll let me see Kazu again, right?"

As Akane's words and actions made it seem as if the ritual was approaching its final closing, the temple servants kneeling around Akane and Kazuya looked up to the sacred couple with jubilant expressions. While this happened, the powerful being lingering in Kazuya's mind spoke with a new compassion in his voice, as he now knew his ethereal solitude would soon come to an end.

"Of course, Akane. He still has his own destiny to fulfill. When I use his body to mate with you, my spirit will merge with his, and the two of us will be a single entity. Kazuya will be the same man you fought so hard to protect, just with my power and a few changes in ideals."

Kazuya shifted his head slightly as Akane's short ponytail brushed against his chin. He continued to speak quietly so Akane wouldn't feel forced into her decision.

"My power will entwine your soul with his forever. When the two of you grow old and pass on, you'll ascend to the stars together and be free to choose when and where you'll live your next lives together. Since I'll be bound to you, this cycle of tragedy will end, and there will never have to be another Hime ritual."

The fearsome deity continued speaking with an unusual peacefulness. He considered the true purpose these ceremonies were meant to condition the battling maidens for, and admired how well Akane had turned out.

"If your love for Kazuya is truly unconditional, and you would go as far as knowingly killing the loved ones of others to protect him, then you should have no further objections to my offer."

Kazuya leaned closer to whisper his next words into Akane's ear.

"This is what you always intended for him, isn't it?"

Akane could no longer stop herself from submitting to the ancient being, and she slowly nodded as she was overcome by a swarm of warmth and relief. Still embracing his silent lover from behind, Kazuya gently posed his final question.

"So, do you accept my proposal, my Hime?"

The long sleeves of Akane's priestess robes ruffled softly as she reached up and carefully removed Kazuya's arms from her shoulders. She turned around to face him, revealing tears of joy freely flowing down her smiling face.

"I do."

The couple tenderly embraced at these words, and they shared a long kiss as the audience celebrated. When the festivities concluded, Kazuya turned to the leader of the temple servants and motioned for the group to leave him with his new wife so she could preserve her modesty. When Kazuya and Akane were finally the only figures standing in the shrine, the young man gently reached toward Akane's waist and began untying the bow of her scarlet hakama. When the garments fell to the girl's ankles, she blushed softly, but said nothing and only smiled as she rested her head against her lover's chest. Akane's remaining clothing soon followed, and Kazuya carefully guided his betrothed to the ground to begin the final stage of the ceremony. The couple made passionate love in front of the eleven columns, on the same ground where generations of Hime had spilled their tears of sorrow.

* * *

The age of warring clans ended shortly after the final Hime festival. The regional leaders who refused to believe Kazuya Kurauchi was the living incarnation of a god soon found themselves slaughtered by an army of nightmarish beasts led by Akane. The determined warrior always went about her brutal task unwaveringly, fully knowing it was to affirm her husband's power. The many who were slain heard a young woman's soft, cheerful voice bidding them farewell in their final moments, and the few who survived told stories of how they had been attacked by a horrifying demon disguised as a gentle smiling angel. Akane seemed to be lightly tickled by the sensation of fresh blood being splattered on her bright face, and the only thing that ever worried her was the possibility her Lord wouldn't approve of the tattered ruins of her newest dress when she returned to his side after each conquest. He was always kind to her, however, and often rewarded her with another session of delightful lovemaking.

Out of the ashes of destruction, a single dynasty arose, and the newly crowned Emperor Kazuya ruled over the unified land with his beloved wife. Kazuya's loyal followers became his imperial advisers, and Empress Akane would be quick to place herself between her Lord and his attacker each time a sword was drawn against the ruthless ruler, using restraint only when her belly was swollen with one of Kazuya's children. She proved to be just as dedicated as a mother as she was a wife, and she looked after her young like a tigress protecting her tiny cubs.

Akane's many monstrous familiars often ended rebellions in minutes when her own combat ability wouldn't suffice, and the thought of revolution gradually became a foreign concept to the Emperor's subjects. The citizens of the empire grew to accept their forced peace.


	2. Alternate Ending

Terrible Things Happen to Mai: Alternate History

This is how things may have turned out in Terrible Things Happen to Mai if Akane HADN'T essentially sold her body to an ancient Japanese Shinto deity in exchange for a very liberal definition of world peace.

* * *

"I won't do it!"

Akane violently pulled away from Kazuya's grasp in a sudden act of defiance. Her tonfa reappeared in her hands in an even firmer grip than they were held in before, and a growling Hari quickly materialized beside his determined master. In response, the temple servants rapidly rose back to their feet and fled to the corners of the cavern for their own safety. Akane shot a rageful glare at her dark deity as she continued to speak.

"Even if what you're saying is true, you won't be Kazu! You'd just be using his memories to pretend to be him!"

Kazuya's eyes narrowed as he sneered. He began speaking in the same cold voice as when he first embraced Akane.

"I offer to make the boy you love into a god, and this is how you repay me? Insolence and baseless accusations?"

Akane's new resolve buried any fear she had of her lord. She continued speaking out in total defiance.

"Hime are supposed to be fighting for a better world, right? Then it's my duty to stop YOU from causing more suffering!"

Akane lifted her tonfa into a combat pose before lunging toward her opponent in unison with Hari. Just as the two attackers met their target, Kazuya suddenly disappeared from view and left Akane swinging at empty air. His presence was only an illusion, and Akane briefly saw the outline of a horned horse sitting a few meters behind where he had been standing. She softly thought out loud as she caught her breath.

"He's using Vrus's power... ?"

The bewildered Hime suddenly cried out and collapsed to one knee as she felt intense pain strike her back. She realized the sudden sting was originating from the location of her birthmark just as her tonfa disappeared from her hands and Hari faded into the cold cavern air. She then felt the ground below her begin to rumble, and she could only frantically dodge to the side when an enormous serpent head erupted from under her feet and attempted to devour her whole. When the terrifying beast disappeared from the hole it had created, Akane heard Kagutsuchi's roar coming from the ceiling of the cavern. She turned around to see the white dragon briefly appear above her in resurrected form as it tried to incinerate her with another fireball. She barely avoided this blast and ran toward the center of the shrine.

Akane panted in exhaustion as her eyes scanned every angle of the subterranean battlefield. She began slowly stepping backwards as she struggled against weariness and a new sense of paranoia, and she gasped softly when she backed into a young man's chest. She quickly distanced herself before turning around to see Kazuya was staring down at her with narrowed glowing eyes. The powerless Hime was overcome by fear as Kazuya casually lifted one hand and opened his fist so his flat palm faced her. This gesture created a sudden aura that propelled Akane through the air and into the opposite wall of the cave.

When Kazuya reached where Akane had landed, he found her slumped in a seated position with her back against the cavern wall and in a near-unconscious state. She was wincing in pain, and there was a large circular dent in the rocky wall a few feet above her head marking the place of impact. Kazuya roughly pulled her up by the collar of her priestess haori and lifted his arm so her feet dangled a few inches off the ground. He smiled when he saw the only emotion that remained in his enemy's eyes was pure fright.

After quietly groaning in pain, Akane began softly pleading.

"Obsidian Lord, please... I give up. I'll do anything. Just don't hurt Kazu..."

Kazuya responded with all compassion absent from his voice.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, woman. You've already shown nothing but contempt for me, so you've lost your candidacy to be my wife. The life of your most beloved is forfeit."

Akane's eyes grew damp as she weakly spoke.

"No..."

The angered god continued to ignore Akane's pleas. He draped his exhausted opponent over his shoulder and carried her to the base of the eleven ceremonial pillars before dropping her to the ground so she landed on her knees. With Akane now in place, metallic cables slowly emerged from the rocky ground under her and carefully bound her ankles together. These appendages then rose in a vertical arrangement and raised Akane to her feet as they formed a stake behind her back. Finally, they lifted Akane's robed arms so they were spread at her shoulders.

Akane struggled against her bindings with what little remained of her strength. Her eyes then widened with horror as a circle of green fire rose around her makeshift stake. Although she felt as if the flames were searing her, they only burned away her shrine maiden robes and the knot in her ponytail, leaving her naked flesh untouched and her brown hair hanging down the sides of her head in a short bob cut.

After the flames receded, Akane looked down to see her bound legs were now gradually being engulfed in clear rock, and the jagged formation was slowly climbing her exposed body. She let out half of a scream before her arms and head were abruptly consumed, leaving her entire frame crucified in a single large crystal that was shaped like a four-pointed star.

Akane remained motionless within the great stone. Her eyes were closed, and her face was frozen in an expression of troubled sleep. Kazuya stepped toward his victim and gave a sinister grin before he began speaking again.

"I know you can still hear me, Akane. Are you enjoying your rest? You certainly deserve it after fighting so hard."

The triumphant deity crossed his arms as he chuckled softly.

"It's almost tragic. Perhaps Kurauchi's mind has already started altering my perception, but for a moment... I thought I was truly falling in love with you."

Kazuya briefly shook his head in disappointment before his grin returned and he spoke again.

"No matter. Now you'll never grow old, and you'll be here to witness every Hime festival to come. Each time another girl falls in battle and they lose the person dearest to them, you'll know it's entirely your fault for not accepting my offer to stop this ritual. I feel that's fair punishment for defying me."

Kazuya looked upon Akane's face within her crystalline prison and noticed tears were building in the corners of her eyelids as they hopelessly struggled to open. His voice now flowed with new delight.

"I see you're finally learning something about paying me tribute."

He leaned forward so his lips almost touched Akane's glass-like encasement, then continued speaking in a low, mocking voice.

"Go on, continue to weep. Don't try to hide your agony from the world. The tears of defeated battle maidens only increase my power."

The vengeful god addressed his captive one last time as he stepped back.

"Enjoy the rest of eternity, Akane."

By the time Kazuya turned away from the imprisoned Hime, the other clerics had reassembled at the base of the eleven pillars. The leader of the shrine staff stepped forward to address his god in a fearful voice.

"Obsidian Lord, as High Priest of the First District, please forgive m-..."

Kazuya interrupted his begging disciple with a forceful tone.

"Stop your pathetic groveling. My patience has been somewhat restored by how close this ceremony came. However, if you continue gathering more useless batches of girls, I may just exterminate your race by the lot and claim the world purely for myself."

The priest responded in slight relief.

"Th-Thank you, my Lord! We'll surely make your long wait worthwhile!"

Kazuya silently nodded as he coldly glared at the other temple servants. With his warning made clear, the celestial entity controlling him saw no reason to continue to stay in this world. Seconds later, Kazuya's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he suddenly collapsed to the ground. His motionless body dissolved into glowing green particles that disappeared into the air before all eleven columns receded back into the ground. The servants silently left the cavern empty of everything except Akane's petrified body so they could begin preparing for the next Hime festival.


	3. Terrible Things Happen to Mai: Requiem 1

Author's note: This is set after Terrible Things Happen to Mai's main ending, so uh... you should probably read that first.

* * *

As the sun set over the Emperor's dynasty, Empress Akane watched the sky turn orange from the palace balcony. It had been close to a year since she married her husband and helped him become ruler. She had spent the early months of the marriage using the unearthly power he granted her to serve as his devoted warrior and eliminate his rivals, and the newlyweds had celebrated their honeymoon intermittently after each of her conquests. As she contently watched some her subjects move about in the garden below, she silently recalled everything that had happened between then and now. She stood with one hand on the ivory balcony banister and the other gently resting on her seven-month belly.

Akane's imperial dress lightly draped over her frame, but hugged her closely enough to make her pregnant state rather obvious. When she would walk through the palace grounds with her condition modestly on display, she couldn't help but feel proud she had been the one entrusted to carry the Emperor's precious cargo.

When her eyes turned toward to the banister in front of her, Akane reached for a small white bowl she had set down when she first stepped out on the balcony. The bowl contained an herbal remedy Akane had prepared for herself each evening using her skills as a healer, and the dose was just enough to help the mother sleep peacefully through the night while the child received extra nutrients to ensure healthy growth. She took a small whiff of the steam rising from the medicinal tea to verify she had used the correct amount of each ingredient, and she soon felt the baby happily twitch within her in anticipation of receiving its favorite treat. She then lifted the bowl to her lips and drank its contents in a single delicate sip. The liquid washed a soft minty taste across her tongue and down her throat, and she found its flavor alone to be slightly pacifying. When she was done, she placed the bowl back on the banister and returned to her reverie.

The cheerful Empress's thoughts were interrupted with a slight start when she suddenly felt a pair of warm, slender arms wrap around her from behind. She quickly relaxed, however, when she recognized the feeling of her husband's boyish hands embracing her and his gentle breath brushing the back of her neck. She turned slightly to see her lover's smiling face leaning over her shoulder, and she returned his expression when she softly spoke his name.

"Kazu..."

She closed her eyes and raised her head to lock her lips against his. After her tongue playfully danced with his for a few moments, the couple softly broke their kiss, allowing Akane to look into Emperor Kazuya's gentle blue eyes. She knew that her deity still lingered somewhere behind the young ruler's human complexion, occasionally influencing Kazuya's actions in slight ways. Akane could see her loyalty had removed any malice the god once had, however, and Kazuya himself would never struggle against the being's will as long as his wife was happy. This was the ideal life the couple had always wanted to live together, and neither of them could bring themselves to question the unusual element that had provided them with this paradise.

As he gazed back into Akane's sparkling brown eyes, Kazuya spoke.

"How are you feeling, Akane?"

The Empress replied in a merry tone.

"I'm fine, Kazu. I'm just glad things have been so peaceful lately."

Kazuya carefully placed his hand on the swell of Akane's stomach to feel the tiny life thriving inside of her before softly speaking again.

"Good. And how's the baby?"

Akane giggled quietly to distract from a light blush that had formed on her cheeks, then responded.

"They've been kicking a lot. I bet they'll grow up to be just as powerful as you, Kazu."

Kazuya's face filled with joy at these words, as the entity sharing his body couldn't have received better news. He enthusiastically spoke again.

"Have you decided on the name yet?"

Akane replied with hopefulness in her voice.

"Hmm... if you like them, I was thinking of Takumi if it's a boy and Haruka if it's a girl."

The Emperor tilted his head slightly to the side, finding these choices to be somewhat curious.

"Akane, you're not still worried about what happened during the Festival, are you?"

Akane looked downward in guilt when she responded.

"Well, I still feel a little bad for what I did to the other Hime..."

She raised her head and looked out toward the orange horizon before she continued.

"But what you... I mean, what Obsidian Lord said was right. If I hadn't done it, the world would still be at war and we would never be together."

Akane's gaze now turned to her bulging belly. She moved her hand over her abdomen in a slow circular motion.

"I don't want the other girls' losses to be meaningless, though, so I figured I could start with this."

Kazuya felt a slight mist form in his eyes as he was touched by Akane's words. Even after the atrocities of the Hime festival and the brutal things she had done to secure his kingdom, she never lost her gentle compassion for others. He nodded slowly when he spoke again.

"Those names are perfect, Akane."

Akane warmly smiled at her Emperor's approval, but then spoke with a slight worry in her voice.

"Kazu, if it's a girl... you won't be angry, will you? I know how much you want an heir..."

Kazuya only chuckled softly at Akane's worries. He slowly brought his wife into his arms to hug her when he quelled her concerns.

"Akane, don't worry about something so silly. All that matters is that we'll have a family to share our love with and continue our legacy. It wouldn't make any difference to me if all we ever have are daughters."

He paused to seemingly think to himself.

"And if any of my advisers try to say otherwise, they can be... dealt with."

Akane thought she saw her lover's eyes flicker in a darker blue hue for a split second, but she wasn't startled by this in the slightest. She simply smiled in relief, and happiness returned to her words.

"That's all I want, too, Kazu."

After sighing in relief and resting her head on his shoulder, she quietly questioned him again.

"Is there anything you need me to do right now?"

He shook his head and replied in a caring tone.

"Just look after yourself, Akane. If any more rebels show up, have Kagutsuchi handle them. I don't want you hurting yourself or the baby. No matter what happens, never fight the enemy directly while you're like this, understand?"

Akane quickly nodded. She knew her current state made her very fragile, and she would never do anything that would put the Emperor's child at risk.

"Of course, Kazu."

After she spoke, Emperor Kazuya leaned forward to kiss her again, and the Empress pleasantly returned his gesture. When the kiss ended, the royal couple both turned to the horizon and watched the remaining sunset together.


	4. Terrible Things Happen to Mai: Requiem 2

A small group of soldiers had gathered outside the palace gates under the midday sun. The band of men were clearly prepared for battle, as they each wielded swords and were all dressed in armor of varying conditions. The captain of this group was a middle-aged bearded man. He stepped forward to investigate his surroundings, then spoke to his followers in a grizzled tone.

"We'll attack from the eastern wall. Kurauchi's whore is knocked up, so she shouldn't cause us any problems."

Another member of the group offered his advice, sounding much more frightful than his leader.

"I think you're underestimating his wife, sir. She's not just a well-trained fighter. They say she's some kind of witch, that she can use a power stronger than any army no matter what condition she's in."

The commander grit his teeth and snapped his head toward the speaker. His words flowed with impatience and rage.

"I don't care what kind of sorcery that bastard has on his side! We have to protect our families from him at all costs!"

He turned to another warrior in his party.

"Fujino, why don't you tell him why we're here?"

The man he was speaking to appeared to be of an aristocratic background, wearing a suit of armor that was much more ornate and polished compared to what most of his comrades wore. Despite his wealthy appearance, however, his speech seemed weak and sorrowful.

"My daughter... She used be so lively and was always making friends, but it's like he stole part of her soul. All she has the strength to do these days is look out a window saying some girl's name. She's a living corpse."

This revelation caused a wave of dread to pass over the remaining soldiers. Using this as inspiration, their leader nodded toward the castle and gave a stern command.

"Let's go."

The posse readied themselves and proceeded with their mission. They never noticed they were being closely tracked by a series of small, green, mirror-like objects mysteriously floating in the air above them.

* * *

When the invasion force had reached the palace stairs, they were surprised to find Akane already waiting for them. She glanced toward the the pathway in front of her in silent determination, and she was armed only with the scarlet and gold tonfa she held at her sides. The fact she was with child was plainly obvious.

After shaking away his brief shock, the lead barbarian stepped forward to address her.

"Ha! Does that stupid kid really think he can just send a pregnant cow to block our way?"

Akane's initial response was soft in tone, but spoken loudly enough for all of the attackers to hear.

"I don't care what you think of me..."

She then raised her head, locking her gaze directly on the invaders. Her voice flared with anger, and the flames of battle burned in her eyes.

"But I won't let you talk that way about Kazu!"

Just as the invaders drew their swords to answer Akane's pathetic challenge, they were stunned by the sounds of growling coming from a few feet behind them. They turned around in unison to see a mechanical tiger hunched on its front paws, preparing to pounce as it matched the ferocity of the girl on their opposite side. They began to shift out of the beast's path, but were stopped when the stone walkway under their feet exploded upward. A series of root-like tendrils shot from the ground, impaling each member of the unsuspecting militia and swiftly ending their lives.

A single arrow then screamed through the air toward Akane. The projectile was almost certainly on its way to plunging through her heart, but it ended up slamming into a mystical barrier that appeared in front of her on its own whim. She didn't seem the least bit surprised, and she soon narrowed her eyes toward a lone sniper using one of the palace's pillars as a vantage point. Although the would-be assassin was well out of her attack range, he quickly met his own demise when he was attacked by another creature that came from even higher in the air. It was a enormous armored crow that loomed over its prey like a manifestation of death itself, and it violently clawed at the horrified archer with its talons.

The feathered beast faded into the air after it had finished entertaining itself with its victim's misery. As the archer lay on the platform bleeding and dying, he found himself accompanied by Akane, who had been carefully lifted to his vantage point on the head of a giant snake. She stepped forward, allowed her weapons to disappear from her hands, and knelt beside him. A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she inspected his deathly wounds. Without saying a word, she closed her eyes and held both of her palms over him. This caused a strange sight to materialize directly behind her: The statuesque head of an angelic horse adorned with a single horn. The majestic creature's outline glowed brightly as energy pulsated from Akane's fingertips and magically mended the man's injuries. In a combination of amazement and fear, he spoke in what he realized were increasingly less painful gasps.

"Wha... what are you doing?"

Akane replied as she remained focused on the task at hand.

"I'm healing you. I want you to live so you can send a message for me."

The last of the archer's injuries faded. With her work done, Akane turned toward him with a calmer, much more friendly complexion.

"Whoever sent you, or where ever you came from, tell them what happened here. Tell them that even though the emperor can be cruel to those who defy him, he knows only compassion toward those who respect him."

Akane paused briefly as she considered the thoughts that must be swirling through the warrior's mind.

"And if your people still don't trust him, tell them I'll handle the terms of their surrender myself."

She looked to the side in doubt, realizing what she would have to do if her idealism failed. Her voice became darker when she spoke again.

"...or would you rather die here with the rest of your friends?"

The man only responded in staggered gasps and grunts, and he soon clambered to his fully-healed feet and scurried far away to safety. He was probably acting out of fear, Akane thought, but perhaps he accepted the mercy she had given him in gratitude.

After slowly raising to her own feet, Akane let out a relieved sigh and rested one of her hands over her belly. Her face beamed with gentle happiness when she felt a kick, and she spoke to her unborn child with nurturing words.

"See? I told you I'd keep you safe."

The empress's sparkling eyes turned toward her husband's palace before she spoke again.

"Now let's go see daddy so he can stop worrying about us."

She then descended to the royal entranceway with the help of her serpent familiar and began her short trip back to the throne room.


End file.
